Riding in bed of pickup is Southern pastime. But is it legal in SC? What law says
If you’re planning to soak up the last of the summer sun from the bed of a pickup truck, it’s important to make sure you’re not breaking South Carolina law.
It is legal to ride in the bed of a pickup truck in the state, but regulations vary by age and circumstance. South Carolina law generally prohibits the transport of people under 15 years old in open truck beds or open cargo areas, but there are exceptions to the rule.
Passengers under the age of 15 may ride in the bed of a pickup truck if an adult is present in the bed or cargo area to supervise them; they are secured by a seatbelt that meets federal safety standards; there is an emergency situation; the vehicle is being operated in a permitted parade, hayride, while hunting or in an agricultural enterprise; the vehicle is being operated in a county with no incorporated area that has a population over 3,500 people; or the vehicle has a closed metal tailgate and is being operated under 36 mph.
For those over the age of 15, there are no specific limitations on the books regarding where or at what speeds it is legal to ride in a pickup truck bed, South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Brandon Bolt confirmed.
The main thing law enforcement is concerned with when people over the age 15 are riding in a truck bed is ensuring they are seated directly on the floor of the bed, not on a wheel well or on the tailgate, Bolt said.
“It’s not encouraged,” SCHP Cpl. David Jones said. If there are available seats inside the truck, Jones said riders, particularly young ones, are encouraged to sit there for safety reasons.
However, he noted “there’s not much regulation on it” for riders over the age of 15.
Bolt said he usually sees people riding in the backs of pickup trucks in very rural areas, traveling to and from boat ramps or between fields. While there is little statewide regulation for people over 15 years old in truck beds, he said “you’re not going to see it on the interstate.”
But aside from the safety issue, the cost of violating the law only amounts to a misdemeanor upon conviction and $25 fine..
